HB222 Alabama 2024 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kerry UnderwoodRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2024

Title

Sex offenders; restricted employment and volunteer positions further provided for

Summary

HB222 would prohibit sex offenders from working or volunteering as first responders and place new distance limits on where they can work around places that serve children.

What This Bill Does

The bill bans adult sex offenders from accepting or keeping employment or volunteer roles at schools, childcare facilities, businesses that primarily serve children, or amusement/water parks, and restricts employment within 2,000 feet of such properties (measured straight-line). It also bans adults convicted of sex offenses involving a minor from working within 500 feet of playgrounds, parks, athletic fields, or other minor-focused facilities. In addition, adult sex offenders cannot serve as first responders, defined to include roles like paramedics, firefighters, and EMTs. The bill mirrors similar restrictions for juvenile sex offenders under a parallel provision. Violations would be Class C felonies, and the bill becomes effective October 1, 2024; it also includes a local-funding exemption because the bill creates a new crime.

Who It Affects

• Adult sex offenders: barred from certain employment/volunteer roles (especially as first responders) and restricted by 2,000-foot and 500-foot distance rules around child-focused locations; violation is a Class C felony.
• Employers/organizations serving children (e.g., schools, childcare facilities, child-focused businesses): prohibited from knowingly employing adult sex offenders and must comply with distance restrictions; the bill includes a liability carve-out for organizations of first responders.

Key Provisions

• Adult sex offenders may not accept or maintain employment or a volunteer position at schools, childcare facilities, mobile vending businesses serving children, or other child-focused organizations, or amusement/water parks.
• Adult sex offenders are prohibited from employment within 2,000 feet of property where a school or childcare facility is located (measured as a straight line between property lines).
• Adult sex offenders convicted of a sex offense involving a child may not work within 500 feet of playgrounds, parks, athletic fields, or facilities whose main purpose is caring for, educating, or entertaining minors.
• Changes to property within 2,000 feet after an offender has accepted employment cannot be used to claim a violation.
• Owners/operators of child-focused facilities cannot knowingly hire an adult sex offender.
• An adult sex offender may not accept or maintain employment or a volunteer position as a first responder; first responders include paramedics, firefighters, rescue squad members, EMTs, etc.
• The prohibition on first responders does not create liability for employers or volunteer organizations of first responders.
• A person who knowingly violates these provisions commits a Class C felony.
• Adult and juvenile sex offenders have parallel restrictions under Sections 15-20A-13 and 15-20A-31 (including juvenile restrictions on employment and first responder roles).
• Section 2 clarifies the bill is exempt from certain local funding requirements because it defines a new crime, and Section 3 provides the effective date of October 1, 2024.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Crimes & Offenses